This invention relates to a control system for controlling the flow of air to and from the chambers of a low air loss, patient supporting air mattress.
Numerous systems have been proposed for controlling the flow of air to a low air loss inflatable air mattress. For example, Suzuki et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,843 employed a set of on/off valves in combination with pressure sensors to control pressures within a set of air sacks of an air mattress. Schild, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,518 discloses a rotating valve to alternately supply air to sets of air chambers in an air mattress. Thomas et, al, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,568 teach a flat plate valve system for distributing air to an air mattress.
The prior art evidences a search for a simple, reliable and compact means for providing a flow of air to the chambers of a low air loss air mattress. Numerous complex valves for controlling the flow of air have been developed.
One object of the present invention is to provide a simple, compact air mattress air supply and control system that is able to operate in different modes to supply air to different types of air mattresses.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an air mattress air supply and control system having a fan and motor that will not over heat as is now the case with many existing systems.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an air mattress air supply and control system that can receive an input corresponding to the weight of the supported patient, sense pressure in the chambers of various zones of the mattress, convert those sensed pressures to interface pressures between the patient and the mattress depending on the location of the zone and weight of the patent and then control the flow of air to an air mattress so that the patient/mattress interface pressure in each zone remains below a selected value to prevent the formation of bed sores. Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide an air mattress
air supply and control system that can be quickly deflated with reverse air flow so that cardiopulmonary resuscitation can be administered to a patient supported by the mattress.
The system of the present invention is a system for supplying air and controlling the flow of air into and out of the chambers of a patient supporting air mattress. It includes an electric motor powered variable speed blower, a two position rotary valve, air mattress supply lines communicating between the rotary valve and the chambers of the air mattress, a continuous exhaust line also connected to the rotary valve, stepper motor controlled valves in the air mattress supply lines, pressure sensors between the stepper motor controlled valves and the chambers of the air mattress and a control unit.
The variable speed blower has an intake and an exhaust port. The inlet port of the two position rotary valve is connected to the blower exhaust port. The two position rotary valve can either direct the flow of air from the blower to the chambers of the air mattress in a pressurizing mode or route the flow of air from the air mattress into the intake of the blower in a vacuum mode in which the air mattress is rapidly deflated. When in the pressurizing mode, air exits the rotary valve through air mattress supply ports connected to the air mattres supply lines that supply air to various chambers of the air mattress. When in the pressurizing mode, a portion of the air supplied by the blower also flows out of the rotary valve through the continuous exhaust line. The continuous exhaust line provides a passageway for air to continuously flow through the blower to cool the blower. The stepper motor controlled valves in the air mattress supply lines can incrementally close to control the flow of air in the air mattress supply lines. The air pressure sensors which are located between the stepper motor controlled valves and the chambers of the air mattress sense the air pressure in the lines leading to the air mattress. The control unit receives signals from the air pressure sensors and responds to those signals by controlling the operations of the blower and the stepper motor controlled valves in such a way that the air pressure within the air mattress chambers is held within a selected pressure range.